2008 Woodie Awards
Health Educator to bring important issues to the forefront
Erika Schnitzer
Issue date: 9/20/07 Section: News
- Page 1 of 2 next >
In a recent email to the campus community, Dean of Students Steve Leavitt outlined a number of "enhancements for Union student life." Among his description of "New Student Affairs Staff," Leavitt named a Health Education Counselor as one of many new positions on campus.
In light of the fact that there are so many new staff positions being created, some may wonder why a Health Educator is so necessary at this point in time when there has never been such a position in the past.
Leavitt explained that he has been asking for there to be such a position since he became Dean. "My thinking has been that there are some significant health issues on Union's campus-for example, alcohol abuse [and] eating disorders-that affect enough people, that we should really have an expert on campus to help us help students as much as possible," Leavitt stated.
Leavitt hopes, however, that the Health Educator "can also help coordinate more positive kinds of programs, such as healthy diet, weight management, and quitting smoking. We want these topics to have a higher profile on campus and to have better programs for students on these topics.
The Health Educator, when hired, will be a member of the Counseling Center, another area of the college which has recently received a new hire. Union's new Director of the Counseling Center Marcus Hotaling, who defined the position of Health Educator, is heading up the committee in search of the new addition to the center.
"Personally, I think that there is a need for health education at all schools, not just Union. College students deal with a lot of issues and pressures that they sometimes do not get education on, or the education they receive is inadequate. The Health Educator will bring the knowledge and expertise in certain areas that Union, as well as other colleges, struggles with," Hotaling explained.
The issues that Hotaling hopes that this new hire will educate students on specifically include "alcohol, eating and nutrition, self-destructive behaviors-such as cutting-and…experience with pre- and post-vention sexual assault."
In light of the fact that there are so many new staff positions being created, some may wonder why a Health Educator is so necessary at this point in time when there has never been such a position in the past.
Leavitt explained that he has been asking for there to be such a position since he became Dean. "My thinking has been that there are some significant health issues on Union's campus-for example, alcohol abuse [and] eating disorders-that affect enough people, that we should really have an expert on campus to help us help students as much as possible," Leavitt stated.
Leavitt hopes, however, that the Health Educator "can also help coordinate more positive kinds of programs, such as healthy diet, weight management, and quitting smoking. We want these topics to have a higher profile on campus and to have better programs for students on these topics.
The Health Educator, when hired, will be a member of the Counseling Center, another area of the college which has recently received a new hire. Union's new Director of the Counseling Center Marcus Hotaling, who defined the position of Health Educator, is heading up the committee in search of the new addition to the center.
"Personally, I think that there is a need for health education at all schools, not just Union. College students deal with a lot of issues and pressures that they sometimes do not get education on, or the education they receive is inadequate. The Health Educator will bring the knowledge and expertise in certain areas that Union, as well as other colleges, struggles with," Hotaling explained.
The issues that Hotaling hopes that this new hire will educate students on specifically include "alcohol, eating and nutrition, self-destructive behaviors-such as cutting-and…experience with pre- and post-vention sexual assault."
Be the first to comment on this story